Section II: Expert/Consensus Statements

About Expert/ConsensusStatements

This section of the Best Practices Registry (BPR) lists statements that summarize the best knowledge in suicide prevention in the form of guidelines, protocols, or consensus statements. These statements typically result from a collaborative process involving key experts and stakeholders and/or a thorough review of the literature by a preeminent expert in that topic area.

Section II statements provide guidance and recommendations (including protocols) that practitioners can use while developing programs, practices, or policies for their own settings. Note that Section III of the BPR also includes protocols; however, Section III protocols are implemented in specific settings rather than serve as general guidance for the field.

Section II Program Listings: Expert/Consensus Statements

A Resource Guide for Implementing the Joint Commission's 2007 Patient Safety Goals on Suicide addresses the identification of those at risk for suicide in healthcare settings. The guide and corresponding Suicide Assessment Five-step Evaluation and Triage (SAFE-T) tool are available from Screening for Mental Health at no charge.

Addressing Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors in Substance Abuse Treatment: A Treatment Improvement Protocol TIP 50 provides expert recommendations to help substance abuse counselors and administrators working with adult clients who may be suicidal. TIP 50 available from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) at no charge. A corresponding video, addressing issues of substance abuse treatment and suicide for veterans, is available on YouTube.

Balancing Safety and Support on Campus: A Guide for Campus Teams is a 36-page manual that provides recommendations and guidelines for the development of on-campus teams whose purpose is to assess, support and respond to troubled or potentially violent students including those who are suicidal. It is available online, without charge, from the Jed Foundation.

Developed by The Jed Foundation and Education Development Center, CampusMHAP: A Guide to Campus Mental Health Action Planning is a 32-page publication of principles and recommendations that can help college and university professionals develop a comprehensive plan to promote mental health within their campus communities, support students who are struggling emotionally or are distressed, and prevent suicide. The Guide is available without charge at both The Jed Foundation and Suicide Prevention Resource Center websites.

Youth Suicide by Firearms Task Force and the American Association of Suicidology

Consensus Statement on Youth Suicide by Firearmsprovides consensus findings pertaining to the relationship between firearms and suicide risk. The statement is available from the American Association of Suicidology (AAS) at no charge.

Framework for Developing Institutional Protocols for the Acutely Distressed or Suicidal College Studentprovides colleges and universities with a list of issues to consider when drafting or revising protocols related to the management of students at risk for suicide. The protocols are available from the Jed Foundation without charge.

Guidelines for School-Based Suicide Prevention Programsprovides recommendations for the safe and effective implementation of school-based suicide prevention programs. The guidelines are available from the American Association of Suicidology for a fee.

National Guidelines for Seniors' Mental Health: The Assessment of Suicide Risk and Prevention of Suicideprovides 38 consensus recommendations pertaining to the assessment of suicide risk and the prevention of suicide in older adults. It is available from the Canadian Coalition for Seniors' Mental Health without charge.

Developed by the Clinical Taskforce of the American Association of Suicidology (AAS) Task Force on Improving Clinical Competency in Suicide of the American Association of Suicidology, Preventing Suicide through Improved Training in Suicide Risk Assessment and Care addresses the fact that only 50 percent of psychologists, 25 percent of social workers, and 6 percent of counselors have training in suicide risk assessment. The task force made one general recommendation and five specific recommendations to remedy this situation. Preventing Suicide through Improved Training in Suicide Risk Assessment and Care is available from the AAS website without charge.

Developed by a collaboration of organizations and experts from the field of suicide prevention, Recommendations for Reporting on Suicide provides practical strategies for safe reporting on suicide. These strategies are aimed at reducing the risk of subsequent suicide deaths in media consumers. (Note: These recommendations replace Reporting on Suicide: Recommendations for the Media first posted in May, 2007.) The Recommendations are available at no charge from http://reportingonsuicide.org/.

Developed by the Lessons Learned Working Group (LLWG), Recommendations for School-Based Suicide Prevention Screening provides research-based recommendations for those interested in selecting or developing, and then implementing a screening program to prevent suicide. The Recommendations are available online at no charge from the Suicide Prevention Resource Center.

Developed by the Lessons Learned Working Group, Recommendations for Youth Suicide Prevention Training for Early Identification and Referral (Gatekeeper Training) provides research-based recommendations for those interested in selecting or developing, and then implementing a gatekeeper training program to prevent suicide. The Recommendations are available online at no charge from the Suicide Prevention Resource Center.

Standards for the Assessment of Suicide Risk Among Callers to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides expert recommendations for addressing the needs of suicidal callers to crisis lines. The standards are available from the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at no charge.

Student Mental Health and the Law: A Resource for Institutions of Higher Educationprovides expert commentary on issues of law and liability as they pertain to the development of college and university policies regarding students at risk for suicide. The resource is available from the Jed Foundation without charge

Suicide Prevention Efforts for Individuals with Serious Mental Illness outlines the leadership role that state mental health authorities can take in preventing suicide among persons with serious mental illness. The report is available from the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors at no charge.

The Talking About Suicide & LGBT Populations guide is a community-based resource for talking about suicide in ways that minimize contagion risk while at the same time expanding public conversations about the well-being of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people, promoting the need for family support and acceptance, and encouraging help-seeking by LGBT people who may be contemplating suicide. The Talking About guide was created through the collaboration of multiple organizations. It is available online without charge.

Towards Good Practice: Standards and Guidelines for Suicide Bereavement Support Groupsprovides expert guidelines for the development and facilitation of suicide bereavement support groups. The guidelines are available from Lifeline Australia at no charge.

The Video Evaluation Guidelines were developed by the video review committee of the American Association of Suicidology (AAS) and are used by the committee to review youth suicide prevention videos. The AAS video review committee consists of AAS members with different professional affiliations and academic backgrounds. Use of the Video Evaluation Guidelines should increase the likelihood of suicide prevention video effectiveness and safety. The Guidelines are available from AAS at no charge.

The SPRC is supported by a grant (1 U79 SM059945) from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). No official endorsement by SAMHSA or DHHS for the information on this web site is intended or should be inferred.